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Bicycle lane surface quality
Bicycle lanes should be paved to the same
standards as adjacent traffic lanes. The surface
to be used by bicyclists should be smooth, free
of potholes, and the pavement edge uniform.
For rideability on new construction, the finished
surface of bikeways should be smooth and true
to the required cross section and grade. The sur-face
should conform to the NCDOT Stan-dard
Specifications for Roads and
Structures, Section 610- 13, Surface Require-ments.
Further, manholes, drainage grates and
utility covers should be located outside the bicy-cle
lane. For more advice on pavement quality,
see Chapter 4.
Bicycle lane widths
Under ideal conditions, minimum bicycle
lane width is 1.2 m ( 4 ft). However, certain edge
conditions dictate additional desirable bicycle
lane width. Additional width also is desirable
when the width of the adjacent traffic lane is less
than 3.6 m ( 12 ft). This is an important addition
because the effective clearance between a bicy-clist
and adjacent traffic is a function of the com-bined
width of both the bike lane and the
adjacent traffic lane.
To examine the width requirements for bicy-cle
lanes, Figure 5.2 shows four usual locations
for such facilities in relation to the roadway. Fig-ure
5.2 ( 1) depicts bicycle lanes on an urban
curbed street where a parking lane is provided.
The minimum bicycle lane width for this loca-tion
is 1.5 m ( 5 ft). Bicycle lanes should always
be placed between the parking lane and the
motor vehicle lanes. Bicycle lanes between the
curb and the parking lane create hazards for
bicyclists from opening car doors and poor visi-bility
at intersections and driveways. They also
prohibit bicyclists from making left turns; there-fore,
this placement should never be considered.
Where parking is permitted but a parking
lane is not provided, the combination lane,
intended for both motor vehicle parking and
bicycle use, should be a minimum of 3.6 m ( 12
ft) wide. Figure 5- 2 illustrates this condition.
However, if it is likely the combination will be
used as an additional motor vehicle lane, it is
preferable to designate separate parking and
bicycle lanes, as shown in Figure 5- 2 ( 1). In both
instances, if parking volume is substantial or
turnover is high, an additional 0.3 m to 0.6 m ( 1
ft or 2 ft) width is desirable for safe bicycle
operation.
Figure 5- 2 ( 3) depicts bicycle lanes along
the outer portions of an urban- type curbed street
where parking is prohibited. Bicyclists do not
generally ride near a curb because of the possi-bilities
of riding through debris, over an uneven
longitudinal joint, or along a steep cross- slope,
or of hitting a pedal on the curb. Bicycle lanes
in this location should have a minimum width of
six feet from the curb face.
Figure 5- 2 ( 4) depicts bicycle lanes on a
highway without curb or gutter. Bicycle lanes
should be located between the motor vehicle
lanes and unpaved shoulders. Bicycle lanes may
have a minimum width of 1.2 m ( 4 ft), although a
width of 1.5 m ( 5 ft) or greater is preferable.
Additional width is desirable where substantial
truck traffic is present, where prevailing winds
are a factor, on grades, or where motor vehicle
speeds exceed 56 km/ h ( 35 mph).
Bicycle lane intersection design
Bicycle lanes tend to complicate both bicy-cle
and motor vehicle turning movements at
intersections. Because they encourage bicy-clists
to keep to the right and motorists to keep
to the left, both operators are somewhat dis-couraged
from merging in advance of turns.
Thus, some bicyclists will begin left turns from
the right side bicycle lane and some motorists
will begin right turns from the lane to the left
of the bicycle lane. Both maneuvers are con-trary
to established rules of the road and result
in conflicts. Common movements of motorists
and bicyclists are shown in Figure 5- 3.
At intersections, bicyclists proceeding
straight through and motorists turning right
must cross paths. Marking and signing con-figurations
which encourage these crossings
through merging in advance of the intersec-tion
are generally preferable to those that
force the crossing in the immediate vicinity
of the intersection. To a lesser extent, the
same is true for left- turning bicyclists. How-ever,
in this maneuver, the rules of the road
allow bicyclists to make either a “ vehicular
style” left turn ( where the bicyclist merges
left to the same lane used for motor vehicle
left turns) or a “ pedestrian style” left turn
January 1994 Bicycle Lanes 31

Bicycle lane surface quality
Bicycle lanes should be paved to the same
standards as adjacent traffic lanes. The surface
to be used by bicyclists should be smooth, free
of potholes, and the pavement edge uniform.
For rideability on new construction, the finished
surface of bikeways should be smooth and true
to the required cross section and grade. The sur-face
should conform to the NCDOT Stan-dard
Specifications for Roads and
Structures, Section 610- 13, Surface Require-ments.
Further, manholes, drainage grates and
utility covers should be located outside the bicy-cle
lane. For more advice on pavement quality,
see Chapter 4.
Bicycle lane widths
Under ideal conditions, minimum bicycle
lane width is 1.2 m ( 4 ft). However, certain edge
conditions dictate additional desirable bicycle
lane width. Additional width also is desirable
when the width of the adjacent traffic lane is less
than 3.6 m ( 12 ft). This is an important addition
because the effective clearance between a bicy-clist
and adjacent traffic is a function of the com-bined
width of both the bike lane and the
adjacent traffic lane.
To examine the width requirements for bicy-cle
lanes, Figure 5.2 shows four usual locations
for such facilities in relation to the roadway. Fig-ure
5.2 ( 1) depicts bicycle lanes on an urban
curbed street where a parking lane is provided.
The minimum bicycle lane width for this loca-tion
is 1.5 m ( 5 ft). Bicycle lanes should always
be placed between the parking lane and the
motor vehicle lanes. Bicycle lanes between the
curb and the parking lane create hazards for
bicyclists from opening car doors and poor visi-bility
at intersections and driveways. They also
prohibit bicyclists from making left turns; there-fore,
this placement should never be considered.
Where parking is permitted but a parking
lane is not provided, the combination lane,
intended for both motor vehicle parking and
bicycle use, should be a minimum of 3.6 m ( 12
ft) wide. Figure 5- 2 illustrates this condition.
However, if it is likely the combination will be
used as an additional motor vehicle lane, it is
preferable to designate separate parking and
bicycle lanes, as shown in Figure 5- 2 ( 1). In both
instances, if parking volume is substantial or
turnover is high, an additional 0.3 m to 0.6 m ( 1
ft or 2 ft) width is desirable for safe bicycle
operation.
Figure 5- 2 ( 3) depicts bicycle lanes along
the outer portions of an urban- type curbed street
where parking is prohibited. Bicyclists do not
generally ride near a curb because of the possi-bilities
of riding through debris, over an uneven
longitudinal joint, or along a steep cross- slope,
or of hitting a pedal on the curb. Bicycle lanes
in this location should have a minimum width of
six feet from the curb face.
Figure 5- 2 ( 4) depicts bicycle lanes on a
highway without curb or gutter. Bicycle lanes
should be located between the motor vehicle
lanes and unpaved shoulders. Bicycle lanes may
have a minimum width of 1.2 m ( 4 ft), although a
width of 1.5 m ( 5 ft) or greater is preferable.
Additional width is desirable where substantial
truck traffic is present, where prevailing winds
are a factor, on grades, or where motor vehicle
speeds exceed 56 km/ h ( 35 mph).
Bicycle lane intersection design
Bicycle lanes tend to complicate both bicy-cle
and motor vehicle turning movements at
intersections. Because they encourage bicy-clists
to keep to the right and motorists to keep
to the left, both operators are somewhat dis-couraged
from merging in advance of turns.
Thus, some bicyclists will begin left turns from
the right side bicycle lane and some motorists
will begin right turns from the lane to the left
of the bicycle lane. Both maneuvers are con-trary
to established rules of the road and result
in conflicts. Common movements of motorists
and bicyclists are shown in Figure 5- 3.
At intersections, bicyclists proceeding
straight through and motorists turning right
must cross paths. Marking and signing con-figurations
which encourage these crossings
through merging in advance of the intersec-tion
are generally preferable to those that
force the crossing in the immediate vicinity
of the intersection. To a lesser extent, the
same is true for left- turning bicyclists. How-ever,
in this maneuver, the rules of the road
allow bicyclists to make either a “ vehicular
style” left turn ( where the bicyclist merges
left to the same lane used for motor vehicle
left turns) or a “ pedestrian style” left turn
January 1994 Bicycle Lanes 31